Love Me Back to Life
by Mahone-chic-89
Summary: DEADLIEST CATCH: When tragedy strikes the fleet will they be able to pick up and move on? The tragedy hits home for the woman who owns the Elbow Room and moving on may be too much to ask.
1. Prologue

**Love Me Back to Life**

**Well I had an idea for another story…let's see how this one works out!**

**This story is purely fictional and the people (except for Marie) are real people who fish in the Bering Sea and appear on Discovery's Deadliest Catch TV show. Edgar Hansen will be single in this story just for the story's sake. Also a certain even that happens early on to one of the boats is not true in real life and I pray it never will be true EVER. So don't worry! : ) (*knocks on wood*) I apologize ahead of time to my loyal readers…this one is gonna be worse than Hope Floats when it comes to tragedy. Sorry!!!! And as always reviews are very much appreciated!!! **

The sun rose slowly over the cold horizon and reflected off the snow-white mountains surrounding Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The waves lapped lazily on the shore as the fog slowly began to lift away from the docks.

Marie shivered as a cold breeze ruffled her dark, auburn hair. Her hazel eyes scanned the horizon searching for something through the thick fog. She sighed in frustration as she waited. It had been too long. They should have been here by now.

Just then a shape appeared from about a mile away. Marie felt her heart race with excitement but then frowned when she realized that this boat was a house-forward style vessel. It wasn't the one she was desperate to see. She watched as the boat drew closer to the docks. She heard cheers erupt from several people waiting at the end of the dock as the boat was tied up.

A couple members of the crew leapt off the boat and hugged their wives and children. A man with light blonde hair jumped off and went over to a rather attractive blonde woman and gave her a hug and a loving kiss. Marie smiled when she recognized the face. It was the infamous Sig Hansen.

As all the crew members climbed off the Northwestern and greeted their loved ones, Marie couldn't help but notice how one of the deckhands stayed on the boat. He was wearing a navy blue hoodie with the Northwestern logo on the front with the hood pulled up. He had his hands in his pockets and he stood against the rail watching everyone on the dock. Marie felt a pang of sadness for the man…he was all alone. No one had come to welcome him back from his dangerous fishing trip.

Just then the man glanced up and saw her a little ways further down the dock. Marie smiled at him and waved, feeling another pang of sympathy for the man. He waved back and as a smile slowly spread along his face. To Marie's surprise he climbed off the boat and made his way down the dock toward her. She blinked in surprise when he walked right up to her and held out his hand.

"Hi…I'm Edgar Hansen," he said with a smile.

Marie smiled back, "Hi, I'm Marie Winnicker."

Edgar glanced away awkwardly as he put his hand back in his pocket.

"You know you're the first person who has ever said hi to me when I come back to the dock in the past five years?"

Marie frowned at that as she looked up at him.

"Really? Don't you have a girlfriend or a wife or something?"

Edgar smiled sadly and shook his head, "No…not anymore."

"Oh…I'm sorry. Did you break up with her?"

Edgar's shoulders tensed up instantly and he looked away quickly, "Um, not really."

Marie gave him a confused look as she tried to figure out what he meant. Suddenly her eyes grew wide with understanding and she gaped in surprise.

"Oh! Oh, Edgar I'm so sorry…I didn't know…"

Edgar shook his head, "Nah don't worry about it. You didn't know. So…who are you waiting for?"

"Um, my boyfriend is on the Cornelia Marie. They should have been here by now though."

"Cornelia Marie?" asked Edgar in surprise, "No joke? Who is he?"

"Josh Harris…the captain's oldest son," said Marie with a smile as she glanced back out over the water.

"No kidding," said Edgar with a smirk, "Josh Harris finally landed himself a good girl eh? It's about time."

Marie laughed as she pulled her parka closer to her, "Yeah I guess so….I just wish he'd hurry up and get back here…"

Meanwhile back over at the Northwestern, the families of the crew were busy hugging and talking with their loved ones when Sig Hansen got a phone call.

"This better be important I'm with my family," he grumbled into the cell phone.

After a few moments Sig turned and gave his wife a horrified look. He walked away from the dock quickly to get away from the crowd. After a couple minutes he ended the call and turned back around slowly, a look of shock and disbelief on his face.

Edgar had seen his older brother walk off and glanced over his shoulder to see what was going on. When he saw the look on Sig's face he knew something terrible had happened.

"Oh no…" he murmured quietly.

"What? What is it?" asked Marie, alarmed by the look on Edgar's face.

"I don't know…but Sig looks really upset about something. I'd better go find out what's going on. You're welcome to come if you want."

Marie nodded and followed Edgar over to the group of Northwestern crew members and families. Sig was walking slowly back over to them as if in a daze.

"Sig…what's wrong honey?" asked Sig's very pretty wife, "What's happened?"

Sig cleared his throat slightly and took a deep breath.

"Um…something, something terrible has happened," he began unsteadily, "A boat went down about three hours ago. There are only two survivors the rest went in without survival suits. All the bodies have been recovered."

"What boat Sig?" asked Matt.

"The…the Cornelia Marie."

Marie felt the world around her spin out of control. A feeling of absolute horror filled her entire body and she felt herself grow weak with horror.

"No…no it…it can't be…" she murmured quietly.

Edgar moved quickly to her side in case she fainted. He glanced up and saw Sig giving him a questioning look.

"Her…her boyfriend is Josh Harris," explained Edgar as he glanced around at the rest of his crew.

Sig closed his eyes for a moment as he glanced at Marie. The rest of the crew shook their heads in disbelief as they looked at each other in shock.

The Cornelia Marie was gone…and only two members of her crew had lived to tell the tale…

**Eek…yeah I know bad hang-off ending. Again I apologize. *KNOCKS ON WOOD* I pray that never happens to them in real life of course *KNOCKS ON WOOD AGAIN* **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!!!! **


	2. Lost

**Thanks so much for all the reviews!!!**

**Lost**

"_Head under water… and you tell me to breathe easy…"_

Early morning light streamed in through the window, stirring Marie awake. She yawned and stretched as she woke up. For a few seconds it felt like any other morning. She would go downstairs and wipe down all the tables at the Elbow Room and prepare for the usual rush of customers then check her supplies, maybe run down to the market, and then mingle with her guests as she served them food and drinks.

But then a feeling of dread and horror washed over Marie as she slowly sat up in bed. Her heart clenched as the wave of pain hit her like a blow to the stomach. She bent over slightly, holding herself as if she were going to fall apart from the intensity of the pain. Everything in her screamed to curl up in her bed and to never get up again. Today was the day she had been dreading for the past week and a half. It was the day of the funeral for the crew members that had been lost on the Cornelia Marie.

She slowly pushed herself up off of the bed. As much as she dreaded this horrible day she knew that she had to go through with it. It was the least that she could do. Marie was just glad that Edgar had offered to come over and walk with her to the funeral. She didn't think that she could face this day alone.

Right after the news of the Cornelia Marie's disappearance had been announced Marie had disappeared into her little one bedroom apartment above the Elbow Room. She didn't have the heart to face any of the fishermen or anyone else for that matter. She closed down the bar and stayed cooped up inside crying herself to sleep and attempting to deal with the tragedy on her own. She had slowly begun to feel herself grow numb from the pain. For a couple days she remained emotion-less as if in a state of shock. Today would change all of that she was sure of that at least. Today was going to be the longest, hardest day of her life and she wasn't too sure she could go through with it.

A knock sounded from the front door downstairs. Marie hurriedly ran a brush through her tangled auburn hair and ran down the stairs. She opened the door and blinked into the bright sunlight.

"Hey," said Edgar as he gave Marie a concerned head-to-toe look, "How…how are you holding up?"

Marie managed a weak smile as she looked up at him, "I'm alive."

Edgar frowned slightly as he looked her over. She had lost a lot of weight since Edgar had seen her down at the docks a little over a week and a half ago and it bothered him a lot. He noticed the dark circles under her blood-shot eyes and the way she had her arms wrapped around her waist as if that were the only thing holding her together. Edgar was surprised by how much it was hurting him to see this beautiful, young woman in this condition.

"You ready?" he asked her after a moment, glancing away awkwardly. He was finding it hard to keep things light. Today was not going to be an easy day for Marie or anyone else for that matter.

"Yeah…yeah I guess I am," replied Marie quietly as she stepped outside and locked the door behind her, "Let's go…"

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

As Marie neared the place where the funeral was taking place she felt her heart squeeze tightly in her chest. All the crews of the Northwestern, Time Bandit, and the Wizard were there. But that wasn't what made her want to break down and start crying right then and there. Deckhands Dave Millman and Jake Harris were standing off to the side. They had blank looks on their faces and very dark circles under their eyes. Jake was shifting his weight from one foot to the other and biting his lower lip as he fought back the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. He looked up as Edgar and Marie made their way to the sad group of fishermen.

Marie made eye-contact with Jake and her heart plummeted when she saw the look of absolute despair and blank shock in his eyes. He nudged Dave and mumbled something to him before he turned to walk over in her direction. Edgar hesitated when he saw Jake approach. He leaned down and murmured to Marie.

"I'll be right over there with the rest of the Northwestern crew if you need anything," he said as silently turned and walked away to give Jake and Marie a little bit of privacy.

As Jake approached he gave Marie a very sad, sympathetic glance.

"I…I'm so sorry, Marie," he said hoarsely, "We tried so hard to save them. It all happened so fast. The rogue wave hit us…and Dad wouldn't get off the boat. Josh tried to put on the survival suit but then the boat rolled. I lost him after that. I called out for him once I was in the water…but…but I couldn't find him. The Coast Guard said he…he and the rest of the crew had drifted further off…"

Jake had to stop speaking. He started to get choked up and Marie reached out to him and pulled him into a bear hug. Tears were streaming down her face as they stood out in the frigid, white landscape.

"Jake…it's not your fault," she sobbed quietly, "You couldn't have done anything. It wasn't your fault…"

After a few moments they broke their sorrowful embrace and turned to face the rest of the crowd. Dave Millman walked over to them and he and Marie shared a long, silent embrace of comfort as the funeral director began the ceremony.

Marie tuned out the funeral director's voice and allowed herself to be lost in her own thoughts. At first she allowed feelings of anger to wash over her. She was furious that this happened to her. Things like this happen to other people and other boats, not to her and to the Cornelia Marie. People you love aren't supposed to be taken from you like this. She let her mind travel further, allowing herself to experience all the emotions that were coursing through her. It was a funeral after all. If she broke down and started sobbing people wouldn't look at her as if she was crazy. This was the one place, the one time she could allow herself to give in to her emotions in front of other people and in a strange sense it was freeing. She contemplated how unfair the ocean really was. It was the great provider of all the people standing around her. Because of the ocean there was the crab fishing industry and because of the fishing industry she had her Elbow Room. The ocean was supposed to take care of them and give them what they needed, and yet it had taken from her what she loved most. Was this the price of this lifestyle? Pain and torment because the thing they depended on had turned on them and taken away one of the largest boats in the fleet and its precious cargo? Was the cost of this job really worth it in the end? Her head swam with different thoughts and emotions as she stood silently and pretended pay attention to the funeral director. Deep down Marie knew that today was the beginning of a very long healing process that would take her quite some time to recover from. She wondered silently if she would ever recover from this pain. It was literally taking her breath away like a harsh, unforgiving blast of arctic air.

As the ceremony came to a close Marie backed away from the crowd slowly and slipped away. She needed to walk back alone to give herself some time to think. Squaring her shoulders Marie took the first step back home…and the first step on the long journey to find herself again.

**Thanks so much for all the reviews guys! I really appreciate all the feedback. This coming week is gonna be a busy one for me I'm afraid so I'm not sure how often I will be able to update but I promise I will as much as I can! I got a lot of good reviews on the prologue so I'm happy to see people seem to really like this one!! Thanks again for reading and reviewing!! You guys are amazing!**


	3. Much Needed Support

**Thanks so much for all the reviews guys!! I really appreciate it! I'm glad everyone seems to be into this one. As hard as this is to write I'm having fun with it! Anyways here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Much Needed Support**

_Later that evening…_

Marie was standing beside the large ceiling-to-floor window on the first floor of the Elbow Room, gazing out onto the harbor. The waves lapped lazily at the shore as the sun slowly began its decent below the horizon. Marie bit gently on her nails as she stared out at the sea. Her heart felt sore from the long day after the funeral. It was by far the worst day of her life. Part of her had thought that maybe after today it wouldn't hurt as much. She couldn't explain why, but she had thought that the funeral would have brought some closure and some peace of mind. However all it had done was force her to replay that horrible day over and over again in her mind. She knew that she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

She felt something wet fall down her cheek and reached up to rub it away absently. Tears were nothing new to her anymore. Just then a quiet knock came from the back door. Frowning slightly Marie quickly wiped her eyes and smoothed out her dark blouse as she approached the door. She cracked it open slightly and peered out.

"Hey, Marie," said Edgar Hansen quietly, "Can I come in?"

Marie managed a weak smile as she opened the door and moved to the side to let him in.

"Hey, Edgar," she said as she cleared her throat, "Um, what's up?"

Edgar frowned slightly as he noted the hoarseness to her voice. She had obviously been crying for most of the day. He had noticed her slipping away from the crowd at the end of the funeral. Part of him wanted to follow her but he knew that she needed some time to herself. However as the day wore on the yearning to go find her and comfort her overwhelmed him. This girl had a pull on him like gravity and he couldn't help but be drawn to her. He silently wished that she had not been dating Josh Harris. Part of him desperately wanted to ask her out on a date but he knew now that that was near to impossible. Her heart would need a long time to heal from this...he knew all too well how long it would take for her too.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," said Edgar as he glanced away awkwardly, "Just checking on you."

Marie smiled slightly at that and nodded, "I really appreciate that Edgar. Here, take a seat at the bar I'll fix you a drink."

"Nah you don't have to do that," said Edgar as he watched her walk behind the bar, "You've had a long day I don't want to trouble you."

Marie was surprised as a light laughing sound came from her mouth. She had not laughed since the accident happened.

"Oh, no Edgar you came all this way just to check on me? The least I could do would be to fix you a drink. Trust me…it's nice to have company."

Edgar gave her a sympathetic look as he watched her fix him a drink, "Really? I was worried about coming over to be honest. I wasn't sure if you wanted some time to yourself."

Marie gave him a slight smile, "I've spent a lot of time by myself for the past several days. I appreciate you coming over…it's good to be a little social again."

Edgar smiled at that and glanced away as he felt his face flush slightly, "Well I'm glad to hear that."

Marie flashed him a rather dazzling smile as she reached over and handed him his drink. Edgar couldn't help but return the smile as he looked down at the glass she sat in front of him.

"So…what exactly is in this?" he asked as he smelled it.

"Don't ask," laughed Marie, "It's my own little concoction. I've been practicing with mixing different drinks and seeing what I can come up with."

Edgar raised an eyebrow at that. He lifted the glass to his lips and took a long swallow.

"Careful there it's a tad strong," warned Marie just as Edgar sat the glass down and gave her a surprised, wide-eyed look.

"A little strong? Sheesh it's a good thing I walked here!"

Marie laughed at that as she watched him finish the drink. Just then the phone on the wall rang. Marie turned and snatched it off the wall.

"Elbow Room, this is Marie how can I help you?"

"Marie? Hey…it's Jake. Um, do you think if you have a free moment tonight could Dave and I stop by? We…we just wanted to talk, you know? I mean if you're busy…"

"No Jake not at all," said Marie hurriedly, "Please come over…I'd love to talk to you guys. I think…I think it'd be good for all of us."

"Okay thanks so much Marie…we appreciate it. We'll be over in a few minutes if that's okay."

"Definitely. Yeah I'll be here."

As Marie hung up the phone, Edgar glanced up at her.

"Jake's coming over?" he asked quietly.

"Um, yeah he and Dave wanted to talk…about what happened."

Edgar nodded, "I think that's a good idea. You guys should stick together. It'll make things a lot easier."

Marie narrowed her eyes at Edgar and inclined her head slightly as she studied him.

"You talk as if you've been through this before."

Edgar smiled sadly, "Yeah…something like that. But that's a story for another day. Right now let's concentrate on getting you back to where you need to be."

Marie smiled sadly, "Yeah okay."

"So, um I guess I better be heading out," said Edgar as he stood up.

"What? Already? Why?" asked Marie as she gave Edgar a confused look.

"Oh well I just thought that the three of you will want some privacy once they get here," explained Edgar, "I didn't want to interfere."

"You won't I promise," assured Marie as she reached out and grabbed Edgar's hand, leading him back to his seat at the bar, "Please stay…I want you to."

Edgar felt the heat rush to his face again and he glanced away. How could he say no to that?

"Um, okay yeah of course I'll stay if you want me to."

Marie smiled, "Thanks Edgar. I really appreciate it. You're a sweetheart."

Edgar smiled slightly just as they heard a knock at the door.

"That'll be Jake and Dave," said Marie with a sigh, "I have a feeling it's going to be a long night."

"It's okay," assured Edgar as he looked up into her hazel eyes, "I'll be here the whole time. I'll see you through this."

Marie smiled gratefully at Edgar as she walked over toward the door. She wondered silently why Edgar had such an intense look in his eyes when he had said that. He seemed really committed to making sure that she got through this. But she definitely didn't mind. She needed the support desperately. Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, Marie opened the door…

**Thanks again for reading and reviewing!!! I really appreciate it!**


	4. A Probable Solution

**Hey guys! Sorry I'm not updating as frequently as usual. This story is taking a lot more thought and planning than usual. But I'm enjoying it! Thanks so much for all the reviews! I really appreciate it!!**

**A Probable Solution**

Jake looked up when Marie opened the door. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked drained. Marie frowned as she glanced at him, quickly assessing that the day had been much worse for the young man than it had been for her. After all Jake had not only lost his brother Josh, but his dad Phil Harris. Behind him stood a rather aloof-looking Dave Millman. His blue eyes looked blank as if he were still in shock and he looked at Marie as if he were looking straight through her.

"Jake," breathed Marie as she felt her throat instantly constrict with emotion as she looked at Jake and Dave, "Hey…come on in guys."

Jake and Dave slowly walked into the Elbow Room. Jake glanced over at the bar and saw Edgar sitting there, fidgeting nervously. He nodded at him and gave him a weak smile. Edgar returned the greeting as he watched them walk over.

"Hey…how are you guys doing?" he asked quietly.

Dave's head shot up when he heard Edgar's voice. He shot an accusing look at Marie.

"What's _he_ doing here?" he sneered.

"Edgar came over to check on me," said Marie as she gave Dave a hard look, "He's just trying to help."

Dave muttered something under his breath and glanced over at Edgar. He looked back at Jake and murmured under his breath.

"I don't believe that we need the Northwestern's assistance with anything."

Jake frowned slightly at that. He knew that the Northwestern and the Cornelia Marie had been two of the most elite boats in the fleet and were each other's competition, therefore the crews didn't hang out much and a slight underlying wave of tension seemed to creep into the room whenever they mingled. But right then at that moment Jake didn't feel like any of that mattered…especially now that the Cornelia Marie was no more.

"Dave, just chill out okay?" hissed Jake, "We're all upset…and this had been hard on everyone. Just…just let it go okay?"

Dave snickered as he sat down on the other side of Jake, putting Jake between himself and the Northwestern's deck boss. Jake glanced over at Edgar and smiled slightly.

"Thanks for checking up on Marie," he said kindly, "I appreciate that…Josh would have too."

Jake glanced away as he said his older brother's name. Edgar winced slightly as he saw the wave of pain that washed over the young man as he thought about his brother. He couldn't even begin to imagine what he was going through. He couldn't even allow himself to think about what would happen if he lost Sig or Norman. The thought alone gave him chills.

"Um, yeah it's the least I can do," he replied as he looked away, feeling a slight pang of guilt as he thought about his own personal reasons for stopping by to check on Marie.

"So…how _are_ you holding up?" asked Jake as he glanced over at Marie. Marie had moved behind the bar to fix a couple more drinks for Dave and Jake. She glanced up only for a second before she answered the question.

"I'm…I'm dealing with it I suppose," she said in a hushed voice, "It's not easy, but I'm going to be okay eventually. I think the more important thing is how you are doing. I know we didn't really get a chance to talk much at the funeral earlier today…or well I guess its yesterday now. It's already one a.m. Wow…it doesn't seem like it's been that long does it?"

Jake smiled sadly and shook his head, "No…no it doesn't. I'm hanging in there. I…I have my bad moments. I think it still really hasn't sunk in, you know? I don't think I've really accepted it yet."

Marie frowned sadly as she glanced down at the younger deckhand. Jake may have been an adult but he was still too young to lose his dad and his older brother. It hurt her to see him in so much pain. He was doing a good job of hiding it at the moment. He was always the tough one of the two. Marie smiled sadly as she remembered a day when the three Harris' had all been at the Elbow Room after a good season of red king crab fishing…

_Phil Harris let out another loud, rumbling laugh as he gently pushed Josh on the shoulder. Jake was laughing hysterically as his dad ragged on his older brother. He loved it when his dad was picking on Josh rather than himself._

"_Ding and Dong, let me tell ya," he laughed as Marie walked over and set some drinks down in front of them._

"_Are they causing you problems again?" said Marie as she winked at Josh. Josh winked back and leaned forward to give his girlfriend a kiss._

_Jake pretended to gag as he watched his older brother lip-lock with the owner of the Elbow Room._

"_Okay you two go get a room!" he exclaimed after a moment. _

_Phil laughed heartily at that as Josh sat back down in his seat._

"_Aw what's wrong little bro? You jealous or something?"_

_Jake made a face as he lunged at Josh. Josh quickly grabbed him and put him in a headlock. Marie winced as she watched Josh squeeze his brother's neck with his arm._

"_Jake! Tap out kid you're gonna pass out!" she exclaimed._

"_Aw he'll be fine," said Phil as he watched, "He's the tougher of the two of them. Never shows pain let me tell you. Tough kid…he's gonna make one hell of a crabber let me tell you."_

_Marie noted the wistful look in Phil's eyes as he watched his two sons rough housing in the middle of the Elbow Room._

"_What is it Phil?" she asked him as she refilled his glass._

"_Ah…nothing much," he said quietly, "Just wondering what'll happen when I'm not around anymore, you know? I hope I've taught them what they need to know…I want them to be able to take over the boat when I'm gone."_

_Marie nudged Phil playfully, "Oh Phil you've done a wonderful job teaching those two hooligans. I'm sure they are more than capable of handling your precious boat. Now relax! Lighten up a bit and enjoy the evening. It's not often we all get to hang out and unwind."_

_Phil smirked slightly, "Yeah I suppose you're right. These times are few and far between. Guess you can't take them for granted eh? Never know when it'll be the last one…"_

"Marie you okay?" asked Jake.

Marie shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, um…yeah I'm just thinking about things…how things used to be."

Jake smiled sadly as he watched Marie quickly wipe a tear from her cheek. She forced a smile and shook her head.

"No really I'm fine…I promise."

Jake nodded and glanced down at his glass.

"I know now's probably not the time to really be thinking about it but I suppose I don't really have much of a choice."

Marie gave Jake a curious look as she waited for him to explain himself.

"Well…since the boat's gone Dave and I don't have any other way of making any money. I don't know what we're gonna do. It's not like anyone's gonna hire a couple of crabbing deckhands for any decent paying job, you know?"

Marie frowned slightly at that, "No I understand. That's definitely a problem…have you asked any captains? See if there are any positions open…that is if you guys still want to go out and all."

Marie glanced away awkwardly. Jake reached out and grabbed her hand.

"No, it's okay. Yeah we've already talked about it…we want to still go out but it's too late to ask any captains for positions on their boats. They're preparing to head out for opillio season here in a couple weeks."

Edgar perked up at that. He glanced over at Jake and Dave and opened his mouth to speak. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if what he was about to say would be appropriate or not.

"Um…well, I might be able to help you out with that," he said carefully, waiting to judge their reaction.

Jake glanced over at him with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Dave narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"What do you mean?" asked Dave as he glanced at Edgar from head to toe, "What could the Northwestern deck boss possibly do for us?"

Edgar smiled slightly, "I'm serious Dave…we have two open spots on our boat. Nick's got some family things to attend to and Jakers seriously sprained his ankle. He can barely walk on it so it looks like he'll have to sit this one out. Sig's been going crazy trying to find people to replace them. I…I could tell him about you guys if you're interested."

"Hell no," snarled Dave, "Sorry we don't take handouts from…"

"Dave," said Jake harshly, "Come on, man. We're screwed if we can't get a job. It's temporary anyway…just for one season till we can figure out what we're gonna do."

Dave glanced at Edgar and then back at Jake. He gave his younger friend a skeptical look.

"Fine…but the second we can…"

"Yeah Dave, I know," said Jake as he stopped Dave from finishing his statement. He turned back to Edgar and gave him a kind look, "Edgar that'd be great…I'd really appreciate it."

Edgar nodded, "Yeah no problem. I'll talk to Sig and see what I can do. I'll let you know what he says."

Marie smiled, "Edgar that's so kind of you! How about we all meet tomorrow night, same time same place?"

"Works for me," said Jake as he glanced at Dave.

"Yeah…alright it works for me too," he said grudgingly.

"Yeah, sounds good," replied Edgar as he stood up, "I better head back to the boat. Speaking of Sig, he's probably wondering where I am. I'll see you guys tomorrow night."

Edgar said goodbye to everyone and gave Marie a quick glance before he left. He was pleased to see a slight glimmer of happiness in her eyes. Amidst all the pain and hurt that she and the two Cornelia Marie greenhorns had been through, it was nice to see that he had at least brought them all a touch of hope. He only hoped that eventually he'd be able to do more for Marie...perhaps be more than just a friend to her? He shook his head even as the thought crossed his mind. Right now that should be the last thing he was thinking about. After all, the poor girl had just lost her boyfriend to the Bering Sea. But his mind wandered back to the idea as he walked across the frozen dock toward the Northwestern…and he couldn't help but smile at the thought.

**Thanks again for the reviews!!!!! **


	5. When One Door Closes

**Thank you for reading and reviewing everyone! I really appreciate all the feedback. I know the story has been really tragic and sad but I have a feeling like the next few chapters may perk things back up a bit. It should prove to be interesting at least!! Thanks again for the reviews!**

**When One Door Closes…**

Edgar climbed up onto the Northwestern around one thirty in the morning. Sig was still awake in the wheelhouse pouring over charts and statistics from the past several years of fishing, trying to decide what the game plan would be for this season. Edgar quietly climbed over the rail and made his way across the deck, hoping to avoid Sig's detection. He slowly opened the door and slipped inside. He tip-toed down the hallway and breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he put his hand on the doorknob that led into his quarters.

"Hey Edgar!" announced Matt as he walked out of the galley, "You're up too eh? Couldn't sleep myself…so what you been up to?"

Edgar winced as he turned to face Matt. While Matt was wearing pajamas and walking around in slippers, Edgar was wearing boots and a heavy winter coat. It was obvious that he had been outside rather than inside sleeping like he should have been.

"Edgar's up?" came Sig's voice from up in the wheelhouse.

Edgar shot Matt an accusing look as his older brother made his way down the stairs and joined the pair of deckhands in the tight hallway. Sig narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Edgar as he took in the large winter coat and snow-encrusted boots.

"Where've you been?" he demanded, "You should be sleeping. We've got a lot of work to do in the morning if we plan to leave the docks anytime in the near future. That goes for you too Matt."

Matt bowed his head slightly as he ducked into his room and closed the door behind him. Edgar sneered at him and turned to face his brother.

"Um…I went to the Elbow Room for a minute," he said, not making eye-contact with Sig.

"For what reason?" demanded Sig as he turned to go back up the stairs, motioning for Edgar to join him.

"I was just checking on Marie," replied Edgar coolly as he followed his brother into the wheelhouse, "You know…making sure she was okay."

"Mmmhmm," murmured Sig to himself as he sat down in his chair.

Edgar took his place in the co-captains chair across the wheelhouse and shot his brother a look.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sig raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Nothing…sheesh chill out, Edgar. You're awful jumpy. So you went to the Elbow Room to check on Marie? And…how is she?"

Edgar clenched his teeth and forced himself to relax. He couldn't keep acting so skittish. If he kept this up Sig would know his little secret before he even knew what had happened.

"Um, she's okay. Taking it a lot better than most people would."

Sig glanced over at his brother when he heard the sadness and tang of bitterness in his voice.

"Edgar…"

Edgar waved it off and continued with what he was saying, "She's holding up well. It's obvious that this is hurting her deeply, but at the same time she's strong enough and caring enough to realize that Jake and Dave are going through so much more. They stopped by while I was over there."

"Oh yeah?" asked Sig as he glanced up from his charts, "How are they?"

Edgar sighed, "Jake's holding it together but the circles under his blood-shot eyes kind of give away how much this is killing him. Dave's being overly aggressive. I suppose that's how he's dealing with it. He wasn't too pleased when he walked in and saw me there. Still holding on to the competition thing I guess. Turns out they both still want to fish. They don't know what to do since they have no boat or crew anymore. They're kind of at a loss really."

Edgar glanced over at Sig out of the corner of his eye to judge his reaction to that.

"They still want to fish?" asked Sig, sounding rather surprised, "Wow…I guess it's in their blood. I'm surprised they want to go out this quickly after what's happened."

"I guess it's one of those get-back-on-the-horse thing's you know?" suggested Edgar, "And well I was thinking…since Nick's gone for the season and Jake's hurt, that leaves us two open positions right?"

Sig looked up and gave Edgar an inquisitive look. After a moment he realized where Edgar was going with this. He took off his glasses and set them down as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"You want them to work on our boat?" he asked flatly.

Edgar swallowed nervously and wondered if this really was such a good idea. He wasn't sure how his brother would react to his suggestion.

"It would just be for the season, you know?" said Edgar hurriedly, "I mean until Nick and Jake come back and by then Jake Harris and Dave will be able to get their feet back under them and can figure things out from there. I mean, I was just thinking…"

Sig held up his hand to stop his little brother. He laughed slightly and shook his head.

"So this is why you were so fidgety," he murmured to himself. He paused for a moment as if to think it over before he turned to face Edgar, "Okay…bring them over tomorrow and I'll talk to them about it."

Edgar's eyes grew wide with astonishment, "Are you serious?"

Sig smirked, "No Edgar I'm playing around because I do that oh so often…yes I'm serious."

Edgar's grin spread from one ear to the other. He jumped out of his seat and turned to head back down the stairs.

"Thanks Sig!" he called as he left the wheelhouse.

Sig smiled as he watched his little brother leave. He shook his head as he put his glasses back on and looked back down at the charts. This season was definitely going to be an interesting one at best…

**Thanks for reviewing!!! Glad you all seem to really like it! I can't wait to write about Jake and Dave joining the NW! That should be interesting to see how everyone interacts…like I usually say, stories like this surprise me just as much as they do you! I never really know what's gonna happen till I start typing away! Anyways, glad you guys are enjoying it! I'll update ASAP! **


	6. Good News

**Thanks so much for the reviews guys!!! **

**Good News**

Early the next morning Marie was awakened by the light streaming in through her window. She yawned and stretched as she slowly sat up in her bed. Just as she rubbed her tired eyes she heard a loud, persistent knock coming from downstairs. She frowned slightly wondering who it could be. It might be Josh…

She caught herself even as the thought crossed her mind. She closed her eyes for a moment and bit her lip as a wave of emotion threatened to overwhelm her. It was still too hard to grasp the fact that he was gone and was never coming back. He would never again knock on the Elbow Room door at odd hours of the night shortly before the beginning of a fishing season, or sneak away from the boat in the middle of the day just to come over and see her. His charming smile would no longer make her legs grow weak or warm her heart on even the coldest winter day. Everything had been reduced to not-so-distant, painful memories.

Marie was jolted from her heart aching reverie as the insistent knocking grew louder and more impatient. Sighing she squared her shoulders and wiped away a tear as she hurried down the stairs to answer the door. She tied her red robe around her as she pulled open the door, pushing her wild, auburn hair out of her face as a cold winter blast hit her.

She blinked in surprise when she looked up into the smiling, excited face of Edgar Hansen. She couldn't help but smirk slightly at his child-like excitement as she moved aside to let him in.

"Edgar? Wow…you're up early," she said as she stifled a yawn.

Edgar walked into the room and took off his winter coat in a hurry. He whirled around to face Marie, startling her slightly as he grabbed her arms.

"I have some amazingly good news!" he exclaimed as he practically danced across the room and sat down at one of the bar stools.

Marie laughed slightly and raised an eyebrow, "Um, yeah I'd say so. You're in a very cheerful mood this morning."

Marie began to pour Edgar a cup of coffee as Edgar hurriedly told her the good news.

"I talked to Sig last night about the two open positions on our boat."

Marie looked up sharply at that. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized exactly why Edgar was so excited.

"You mean…?"

Edgar's eyes gleamed with excitement, "Yeah…Dave and Jake are the Northwestern's new deckhands! Well…if they want to be that is. Dave doesn't seem real excited about being near us at all."

Marie squealed excitedly, "Oh Edgar don't worry about Dave, he'll be just fine! I can't believe you pulled this off! This is amazing!"

Marie ran around to the other side of the bar and gave Edgar a big bear hug. Edgar laughed in surprise as he hugged her back. Her hair smelled like a mixture of honey and a tinge of vanilla extract. It made his head swim.

"Thank you so much, Edgar," said Marie as she pulled away, "This means so much to me…and I can only imagine how much it will mean to Jake. He can't keep hanging around here on shore for much longer. He belongs out on the ocean…it's in his soul. You fishermen have it in your blood. Without the ocean I don't know how you'd survive!"

Edgar nodded in agreement, "Ain't that the truth."

Just then the door opened and a very cold and sleep-deprived Jake sauntered in with Dave following close behind him.

"Morning guys," greeted Jake as he hung his jacket up on one of the pegs near the door, "How's it going?"

Marie beamed at Jake and Dave as they walked over to the bar. Jake leaned over the counter to give Marie a hug and Dave did the same. Jake turned to Edgar and patted him on the shoulder. Edgar returned the greeting as the two deckhands settled down beside of him at the bar.

"You guys are not going to believe what Edgar just did!" exclaimed Marie excitedly.

Dave frowned slightly and gritted his teeth, while Jake turned to look at Edgar with a spark of interest in his eyes.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

Edgar glanced over at Marie with uncertainty in his eyes. Marie nodded to him encouragingly, her amber-like eyes gleaming happily. Edgar smiled slightly. He was thrilled to see her happy. He realized suddenly how good it made him feel to see her smile and her eyes light up like that. It was all that he needed to give him the courage to announced the proposal to the old Cornelia Marie deckhands.

"Well…I was talking to Sig last night about you guys and about how we have two positions available on our boat," began Edgar as he nervously twirled his coffee mug, "And…he said he wants to talk to the both of you about fishing with us for Opillio season."

Jake's eyes widened in astonishment, "You mean he actually w_ants_ us to fish with you guys?"

Edgar smiled, "Yeah…he's a big softie deep down. Sig's got a good heart. Just don't tell him I told you that or I'll be kicked off the boat in a heartbeat."

Jake laughed at that, "Oh I won't breathe a word. That's awesome…thanks Edgar. I really mean it…this means a lot to me."

Edgar smiled slightly and looked away. His heart went out to the kid. After losing his dad and his brother to the ocean the boy still wanted to fish. He was a lot stronger than most people gave him credit for.

Dave fidgeted slightly and looked away. Jake nudged him with his elbow.

"So what do you say, Dave?" he asked him, "Are we gonna be Northwesterners? 'Cause I'm not leaving you here by yourself."

Dave grunted, "Well guess that doesn't give me much choice then does it?"

Jake smirked and patted Dave on the shoulder, "I'll take that as a yes! Okay Edgar, when did Sig want to talk with us?"

"Whenever you two are ready," he replied as he took another swig of coffee, "He was awake when I left the boat."

Jake jumped up and grabbed Dave's arm, "Alright, let's go then!"

Dave grumbled slightly and Jake gave him a warning look. Dave simply rolled his eyes in response and followed Edgar and Jake out of the Elbow Room. Edgar glanced back at Marie and was pleased to see her smiling as she watched them leave. She raised a hand to wave goodbye. Edgar did the same and couldn't help but notice how her smile widened just a little bit more…

**Thanks again for reviewing!!! It's almost time to see how the two crews are going to blend! I can't wait to write it! Haha I'm such a dork : ) **


	7. Saying Goodbye

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait for an update. The weekend got hectic I'm afraid! Thank you as always for the reviews! I really appreciate all the feedback you guys give me! It lets me know what you all like and don't like so I know what to write about next!! Enjoy! **

**Saying Goodbye**

"Hey, Chief," announced Edgar as he walked into the wheelhouse.

Sig glanced up from his paperwork and took off his glasses. He glanced over at his brother through already-blood-shot eyes.

"I've brought a couple of guys who are interested in working for us," said Edgar as he moved aside to let Dave and Jake enter into the wheelhouse.

Sig straightened up as the two deckhands entered the wheelhouse. He stood up to face them and held out his hand.

"Hey there," he said as he shook hands with both of them, "Edgar tells me you guys are ready to head back out already?"

Jake smiled slightly, "Yes, sir. We need this job."

Dave nodded slightly in agreement as he let Jake do the talking.

"I know it's right after…after everything happened but we don't really have anything else to do to make money," explained Jake, "It's not like there's a high demand for crab fishermen out there in the business world…especially ones without college degrees."

Sig nodded and grunted in agreement, "True…well I'm sure Edgar's informed you that we are in desperate need of two experienced deckhands since Nick left and Jakers got hurt. If you two are willing to step up and do a hell-of-a-job then I think I can help you out."

Jake smiled, "Thanks Sig…I appreciate this."

Dave nodded as he stretched out his hand, "Yeah…thanks Sig."

Jake blinked in surprise as Dave seemed to briefly overcome his dislike for the Northwestern crew to show respect to Sig. Likewise Sig seemed taken aback at first as he returned the handshake.

"Hey, just do your job and we're good to go," said Sig as he put his glasses back on, "Now you guys go grab your stuff and get settled in because we're heading out first thing tomorrow morning and we need to finish loading pots and bait, so it's looking like it's going to be a long night."

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

The sun was just setting as Marie made her way down the rocky slope. She pulled her parka closer to her and tucked a stray strand of auburn hair behind her ear as she made her way carefully down the slope. Once she reached the bottom she paused long enough to take a breath and glance over her shoulder out onto the harbor. The sun was just beginning to go down and its orange glow seemed to warm the land it shone on, despite the frigid gusts of wind that whipped Marie's hair in every direction. She shuddered as she made her way toward a flat plain a few feet in front of her. She knew that it was not just because of the cold that she was shivering so much.

She knelt down in front of one of the many gravestones and let out a long, shaky breath. She felt her eyes begin to well-up with tears and she closed them for a moment, attempting to control the emotion that threatened to overtake her yet again. She reached out and ran her fingers across the name etched into the white marble, her hand shaking slightly as she did so. Just then she felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped slightly in surprise.

"Sorry," murmured Edgar quietly, "I didn't mean to startle you."

Marie smiled slightly and nodded as she knelt back down in front of the gravestone. Edgar frowned slightly as he knelt down next to her.

"I went by the Elbow Room but couldn't find you," he explained as he glanced over at her nervously, "So I figured you'd be here."

Marie nodded and took a deep breath, "Yeah…sorry I just needed to come down here again. Guess I'm still trying to convince myself that he's really gone."

Edgar glanced away awkwardly and cleared his throat.

"Yeah…well I won't bother you. I just wanted to let you know that we're leaving tomorrow morning. Jake and Dave are coming with us. I wasn't sure if I'd see you again so I just wanted to say bye."

Edgar patted her shoulder lightly as he stood up. Marie looked up at him with a slightly hurt expression on her face.

"Edgar!" she said somewhat harshly as she stood up and ran over to him.

Edgar turned around and gave her a confused look. Marie just glowered at him slightly, trying to hide a smile as she wrapped her arms around him. Edgar smirked as he returned the hug, burying his nose in her long auburn hair. His head swam as the scent of honeysuckle overwhelmed his senses. As Marie finally pulled away from the embrace she looked up at Edgar with a look of fear in her eyes.

"Promise me something," she said quietly.

"Anything," replied Edgar in a low, husky voice.

"Promise me you'll come back…promise me that this isn't a goodbye. It's just a 'see you later'."

Edgar felt a pang of sorrow for Marie when he saw the pain and fear that reflected in her eyes. He smiled warmly at her, trying to ease her worry as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I promise. I'll come back…I have to."

Marie gave him an inquisitive look and tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"I have to see you again," he murmured after a moment.

Marie blinked in surprise as she tried to weigh the meaning of what he had just said. Edgar smiled and ran his fingers across her cheek lightly before he turned to leave.

Marie hesitated for a moment before she called out to him.

"Edgar! Wait…"

She ran over to him and gave him another long hug. Edgar couldn't help but smile slightly as she pulled away. She looked up into his blue eyes for what seemed like an eternity and Edgar was convinced he had drowned in her brown depths. Then, she leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Be careful," she whispered as she turned to walk back over to the cemetery.

Edgar nodded silently, too stunned to reply. He cleared his throat, squared his shoulders and with a slight smile on his face, turned to head back to the docks.

**Thanks again for reading and reviewing!!!**


	8. New Beginnings

**Thanks so much for all the reviews!! I really appreciate the feedback. Sorry again for the delayed update. I got a job offer today so life has started to get busy yet again!! But as always I will write whenever I can!**

**New Beginnings **

"Rise and shine boys it's time to get outta here!" announced Sig over the loud hailer.

The crew of the Northwestern groggily stirred awake and began to make their way to the galley for a warm cup of coffee before they dared to go outside and prep the boat.

"Let's move it!" shouted Sig about five minutes later, "I want to beat out these other guys. Check the stacks then untie her and let's go!"

Edgar rolled his eyes as he glanced over at the two newest members of the Northwestern.

"Don't mind him…he's always like this," he murmured quietly.

Norman tried to suppress a laugh as he nodded in agreement, "Yeah…nothing new there. Come on we better do as he says before he blows a gasket."

Matt muttered something under his breath about needing a good cup of coffee before he could work as he sat down his broken mug and walked out of the galley.

Edgar smirked, "And Matt's just not a morning person."

Jake smirked slightly as he watched Matt turn to give Edgar a glare and stalk off. Dave stood up without a word and followed Matt. Edgar watched him leave with a wary expression on his face. He frowned slightly and nodded to Jake.

"So, what's up with him?" he asked quietly.

Jake glanced away uneasily, "Well Dave just has an ego problem really. He just…he doesn't like accepting the fact that we have to ask for help or work on one of our rival crab boats. It bothers him a lot I think. In his mind it's like admitting defeat. We can't make it on our own and having to depend on someone else just bothers him. I think he'll be okay though. Just give it some time. He'll warm up to you guys eventually."

Edgar nodded as he ruffled Jake's hair, "Alright…well Jake we better head on out before Sig goes off on us, eh? Come on I'll show you where your gear is."

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Marie woke up about an hour after most of the boats had pulled away from the docks. She sighed slightly as she climbed out of bed and made her way downstairs to open up the Elbow Room. There would be very little business for the next few weeks while the crab fleet was away fishing.

She began to wipe down the bar and paused for a moment when last night's events played through her mind. She had gone to the cemetery to visit Josh's gravesite and Edgar had shown up. He had been trying to find her but she wasn't at the Elbow Room and he had assumed that she would have been going to visit Josh. She remembered feeling a wave of relief when he touched her shoulder and remembered how her heart had warmed slightly just because of his very presence. She smirked as she recalled the look on his face after she had leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips. He looked very shocked but also quite pleased at the same time.

She frowned though as she thought more and more about Edgar. Josh had only died a couple weeks ago and she was already starting to like another guy. The very thought made her heart fall. She couldn't just replace Josh like this. And besides she didn't even really know if Edgar liked her that much. What if he just wanted to be friends? What if the little peck she had given him had been too forward?

Marie's head swam and she sat down on the bar to steady herself. She couldn't help but wonder if this whole thing had been one big mistake. Just then, the door chimed as someone walked inside. Marie looked up and smiled when she recognized Jake Anderson.

"Jake! How are you?" she asked with a frown of concern.

Jake hobbled into the Elbow Room on a pair of crutches. He sighed as he settled down onto a bar stool and glanced up at Marie.

"Not feeling too hot," he muttered as he ran a hand through his messy brown hair, "I'm missing Opi season because I rolled my stupid ankle when I jumped off a stack of pots."

Marie frowned slightly as she fixed Jake a drink, "I'm so sorry Jake. I know how much fishing with the Northwestern means to you."

Marie nodded at the jacket Jake was wearing. He smirked slightly as he took a swig of his drink.

"Yeah…worked hard for this baby," he said as he rubbed the sleeve affectionately, "Straight off old Captain Ahab's back!"

Marie laughed, "Yeah I don't think too many people in this world can brag about that. Sig's not the affectionate type but he seems to have really taken to you. He speaks very highly of you that's for sure. But don't tell him I told you that. He doesn't like it when his deckhands hear him bragging about them."

"Really? He thinks I'm pretty good, eh?" replied Jake as he sat up a bit straighter in his seat.

"Hey now don't go getting a big ego on me now," warned Marie as she wiped down the counter, "You'll go back out there and do something stupid and it'll be my fault."

Jake waved her off, "Nah not me…I'm a good deckhand remember?"

Marie sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes, "I give up."

Jake laughed, "So…Edgar hasn't been around much," he added with a slight twinkle in his eyes.

Marie turned away for a second before she replied.

"Well Jake that's because he left to Opillio fishing, remember?"

Jake rolled his eyes, "Oh come on you know what I mean. He always left shortly after dinner…whenever we had the slightest break he was nowhere to be found. And I've got this sneaking suspicion that you may know something about where he was."

Marie turned around and narrowed her eyes at Jake, "You young man need to learn to mind your own business," she said playfully as she ruffled his hair.

"So I'll take that as a confession," retorted Jake smugly.

"A confession to what?"

"You basically just confirmed my suspicions that's all," said Jake as he took another swig of his drink, "Edgar's been sneaking away to come visit you, eh?"

"He was being a gentleman and making sure that I was okay," said Marie carefully as she eyed the young Northwestern deckhand.

"Mmmhmm I'm sure that's the only reason he came," Jake said with a smirk, "It wouldn't have anything to do with the kind, attractive woman who owns the Elbow Room at all."

"Oh Jake come off it!" snapped Marie with a slight smile, "Edgar and I are friends."

"Whatever," said Jake with a satisfied look on his face, "Edgar hasn't given a girl a second glance in five years…until now that is. I would think that would be significant."

Marie turned around and gave Jake a confused look, "Five years? Why so long?"

Jake's eyes widened slightly in surprise, "You mean…you don't know?"

Marie studied Jake for a moment before she replied, "No…apparently I don't."

Jake sighed, "Okay…it's kind of a long story though."

"I have nothing else to do," replied Marie as she waved a hand at the very-empty Elbow Room, "So spill."

Jake took a deep breath, "Alright…but I should warn you. It's not going to be easy to hear…"

**Thanks again for reviewing!!! **


	9. Challenges

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for reviewing!!! I'm glad you all seem to like this. I had a few new ideas for the story so it should be interesting!! Enjoy!**

**Challenges**

Edgar climbed out of his bunk and stretched. He yawned as he ran a hand through his messy brown hair. He stood up and slowly made his way into the galley. Sig had told the crew to relax and to rest as much as they could before they hit the crab grounds. He knew that it was going to be a very fast paced crab fishing season this go around. Sig planned to have the guys up for longer hours than usual. He wanted to hit the crab and hit it hard and fast. He had no intentions of long grinds this go around.

Edgar sighed, already feeling the ache in his muscles as he thought about the long hours ahead of him and the Northwestern crew. He poured himself a cup of coffee and settled down behind the table in the galley. Just as he sat down, the door opened and Jake Harris sauntered into the galley, hair messy and eyes half-closed from sleep.

Edgar smirked slightly, "Hey there newbie. You look a bit tired already."

Jake grumbled as he poured himself a cup of coffee and joined Edgar across the table.

"Yeah…a bit but I'm alright. Just not used to sleeping on this boat. I woke up and thought I was on the Cornelia Marie. Scared the hell out of me till I figured out where I was."

Edgar frowned slightly as he noted the look of pain and despair behind the half-hearted smile. Jake was trying so hard to cover up his pain that it was barely even noticeable. His friend and fellow deckhand Dave on the other hand made his pain very evident. He took out his hurt and torment in anger and silence.

"You okay?" Edgar asked as he gazed across the table at the younger deckhand.

Jake glanced up at him for a moment and then looked away quickly, "Um, yeah I'm fine."

"You don't always have to act tough you know," murmured Edgar, "You have a right to be sad."

Jake smiled weakly, "Yeah I know. I guess I just don't want to show it in front of the crew."

Edgar nodded in understanding. Jake was a good deckhand and a good man. He had done a lot of growing up in the past couple weeks since the Cornelia Marie had been taken by the Bering Sea.

Just then the door opened again and Dave Millman sauntered into the galley. He paused and glanced between Jake and Edgar before he walked over to get himself a cup of coffee. Edgar tensed slightly as Dave walked past. Dave wasn't the most friendly deckhand in the world and he was still obviously not too terribly pleased to be relying on the Northwestern for help.

"Morning, Dave," greeted Jake as Dave slid in beside him at the table.

"Morning," he said briskly as he glanced up sharply at Edgar.

"How's it going?" asked Edgar, attempting to sound friendly.

Dave gave him a look and murmured, "Fine, thanks. Look, Jake I'm gonna be in the bunk if you need me."

Dave got up and left the galley without so much as another word or glance at Edgar. As soon as the door closed, Jake cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Don't mind Dave," he said quietly, "He's not handling this well."

Edgar raised his eyebrows, "Really? I hadn't picked up on that one bit," he said sarcastically.

Jake smirked slightly, "Yeah Dave has a lot of pride built up. He really loved the Cornelia Marie and working for my dad. They were pretty close and he prided himself on being one of the best deckhands the Cornelia Marie had ever seen. He doesn't like having to rely on another boat for help. Especially you guys since you're kind of our, or well used to be our competition. Best two boats in the fleet…I guess that comes with some slight competiveness. And Dave took it to heart. That's just how he is."

Edgar sighed, "Yeah…well he'd better warm up to the crew a little more before we start fishing. I understand that he's going through a lot but I can't have him acting like that toward me out on deck. I'm the deck boss and he has to respect that. I don't want my authority to be questioned in front of the others."

Jake nodded, "Yeah…I'll try talking to him."

"Thanks Jake," said Edgar as he stood up, "Now you better go take it easy for another hour or two. It won't be much longer till we hit the grounds and then all hell's gonna break loose…"

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

"Jake, what happened?" asked Marie quietly. She had seen the look that crossed the young man's face when he had said that this was not going to be easy to hear. She braced herself for whatever was about to happen next.

"Well…Edgar was married once," he said slowly, twirling his glass and not looking at Marie.

"Really?" asked Marie, "Okay…well what happened? He's not still married is he?"

"No he's not…she, um, she died about five years ago," replied Jake with a sigh, "And it almost destroyed him."

Marie's eyes widened in horror and she covered her mouth in surprise, "What? No I didn't know this! He never told me…even after what happened to me. I can't believe he didn't say anything…"

"Well Edgar doesn't like to talk about it much," replied Jake, "It's not really the best topic of conversation. He told me some things about you…good things only I promise. I can tell you for a fact that he really likes you. I think he felt a connection when you lost Josh. He can relate to you…he knows what it's like to lose someone you love. That and you said hi to him at the docks. That meant more to him than you know. The only other person that ever met him at the docks after a long fishing trip was his wife but that's been five years now."

Marie smiled sadly and shook her head, "Wow…I had no idea. Jake…what happened to his wife?"

"Andria…well she was taken by a drunk driver," he said quietly, "She was driving in downtown Seattle to meet some of her girlfriends. I think they were going to a party or something I'm not sure…but she never made it there. She was supposed to fly out the next day to meet Edgar at the docks. We never found out what happened until we reached Dutch and she wasn't there. Edgar just kind of _knew_. It's like he just…felt that she was gone."

Marie closed her eyes as a wave of pain washed over her. She knew all too well the pain that must have overwhelmed Edgar at that moment. She felt her heart catch in her throat and quickly wiped away a stray tear that fell down her cheek.

Jake smiled sadly as he reached up to wipe a tear away from her eye.

"You mean a lot to him, you know," he murmured, "I think that you could help each other heal. I know it's so soon after Josh passed away, but I would keep it in the back of my mind if I were you. You've both been through a lot and I think you both deserve someone special."

Marie smiled, "Thanks Jake…that means a lot to me."

"Anytime. Now I better be going but I'll be sure to stop by again. I'm staying here in Dutch till the guys come back. I don't have anything else to do," he muttered as he tapped his injured foot with his cane.

Marie brightened up slightly at that, "Well how about you work for me?" she asked excitedly, "Business won't be as busy as it usually is…but I've wanted to renovate this place for a long time. If you're interested in giving me a hand I think I might be able to give you a job."

Jake's eyes sparkled with excitement, "Seriously? Yeah sure! When do I start?"

"First thing tomorrow morning," said Marie with a bright smile.

Jake smiled back, "Awesome! I'll be here. See you tomorrow then!"

Marie helped Jake out of the Elbow Room and watched as he slowly made his way toward his truck. She smiled to herself as she imagined how the Elbow Room would look by the time the guys came back. It would be a party to remember and Marie couldn't wait to get started on planning it…

**Thanks so much for the reviews!!**

**I'm going out of town on Thursday so I may not update for awhile just FYI. **


	10. Storm on the Horizon

**Thanks for all the reviews!! I got a little writing done when I was on vacation so here it is!**

**Storm on the Horizon**

"Dude chill out!" shouted Jake as Dave tossed another crab roughly to the conveyer belt on the deck of the Northwestern, "You're gonna kill the crab doing that!"

Dave sneered and grabbed another crab, "Don't tell me what to do, Jake."

Jake frowned and shook his head as he walked around the table to come alongside Dave.

"Dave what the hell is your problem?" he hissed under his breath, "We need this job…and I for one would like to keep it. So if you don't mind could you at least_ pretend_ to be pleasant and do your job right?"

Dave glared at Jake and opened his mouth as if to argue, but Jake held up his hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright I get it okay?" he said, quite loudly this time.

Edgar glanced over his shoulder and saw Jake and Dave glaring at each other near the sorting table. He glanced over at Norman and the two brothers exchanged knowing looks. Jake was about to snap. It was bound to happen eventually. Dave took his pain out in anger and by trying to maintain his pride, but Jake hadn't even shed a single tear. Instead he did his best to mask his pain by acting as if everything was going to be okay. Edgar had known that it would only be a matter of time before all of his emotions spilled out and it looked like the time had come.

"You think you're the only one going through this?" shouted Jake as he glared up at Dave, "You think you're the only one hurting? Dave I lost my brother and my dad! I lost everything! My life, my family's heritage is gone! It's all sitting at the bottom of the damn Bering Sea! This job is all that I have left…"

Jake choked slightly as the tears fell down his face. With a final glare at Dave he whirled around and stormed off the deck, slamming the door behind him. Dave looked utterly taken back and shook his head in disbelief. He put his hands on the sorting table and lowered his head as a wave of emotion hit him. He gritted his teeth, forcing it back as best as he could. This was a lot harder than he imagined that it would be. And poor Jake had been holding everything in for a long time now…he hadn't even thought about what Jake must be going through.

"Think you should go check on him?" murmured Norman to Edgar, "He may need someone to talk to."

Edgar sighed, "Um yeah…yeah I guess I'd better go talk to him. You wanna take Dave or should I do that later?"

Norman grimaced, "You would assign Dave to me wouldn't you?"

Edgar smirked slightly, "Yeah I know…I'd appreciate it if you'd talk to him though. I don't think he likes me too much. Probably because Jake's been hanging around me lately."

Norman grunted and nodded slowly, "Oh fine. I'll do it."

"Thanks, Norm," said Edgar as he turned and walked down into the galley.

Norman glanced over at Dave who was leaning on the sorting table, looking baffled and utterly lost. He sighed again and muttered to himself as he slowly walked over to Dave, "This is gonna be so much fun…so damn fun. Can't wait to talk to the most ornery man on deck. Thanks Edgar…thanks a lot."

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Marie cursed quietly as a splatter of paint somehow made its way right into her eye. The sun was just breaking the horizon as she painted the inside of the Elbow Room. It was a deep, blood red color that already seemed to have a warming effect inside the small bar. Marie took a step back and looked at her handiwork. The entire back wall behind the bar was painted and it looked amazing. She smiled as she mentally pictured what the place would look like when all the renovations were done. She'd been saving up for this for quite some time now and she already had a plan in mind.

After the walls were painted, she'd work on getting a new bar built with brand new bar stools that would match the deep red paint on the walls. New tables were waiting for her downtown along with matching chairs and buckets of paint for the outside of the Elbow Room were sitting in the storage room. And then there was her own little project she was working on to honor the four main boats of the Trident fishing fleet.

Just then the door opened and the chimes above the door woke Marie up from her reverie.

"Hey there," greeted Jake Anderson as he hobbled into the room, "You're up awful early. What are you…?" Jake gaped in surprise when he saw the wall behind the bar with fresh paint on it, "Wow! Marie that's amazing!"

Marie beamed happily, "Really? Aw thanks Jake! Yeah I woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep. I won't be able to settle down till this project is finished. I've waited for so long for this and I just can't wait to see what it'll look like when we're all done."

"Well what can I do for you?" asked Jake as he mock bowed, "I'm at your service."

Marie laughed, "Well you could start painting the front wall if you want. Here's some blue tape to put on the edges. If you need help let me know. Don't strain yourself…Sig would kill me if he came back and realized that his greenhorn is hurt yet again simply because I asked you to paint."

Jake sneered, "Oh I can handle it don't worry. I can almost stand on my ankle now…it doesn't hurt as much."

"Still…be careful," warned Marie as she continued painting, "The last thing I need is Sig angry with me."

Jake couldn't help but laugh at that, "Oh…you haven't seen Sig angry. _I've_ seen Sig angry and let me tell you…it ain't a pretty sight."

Marie laughed as she finished up her wall. She picked up her paint cans and moved to the back wall and started to paint. She frowned slightly as she thought about the guys out on the Bering Sea. Her heart lurched suddenly when she thought about the massive waves and freezing spray. She couldn't bear to lose anyone else she cared about to the sea. Turning around Marie flipped on the TV above the bar and turned up the volume.

"Just want to hear the weather," she explained as Jake turned around to give her a questioning look.

As Marie turned back to continue painting, she froze in horror when she heard the weather report.

"Looks like weather conditions out on the Bering Sea are getting worse," said the weather lady, "Gail force winds are beginning to develop as a massive storm system bears down on the infamous crab fishing grounds. It's not going to be pretty that's for sure. We're looking at about fifty foot seas with severe wind gusts. Keep the crab fleet in your prayers ladies and gentlemen…they're going to need every single prayer they can get before this storm passes through…"

Jake stopped painting and turned around to look at Marie. The two friends exchanged horrified looks as the news anchor took over and began announcing the sports statistics.

Marie knew in that instant that it would be another sleepless night for her…but she couldn't even imagine what the guys were going through at that very moment…


	11. Dead Ahead

**Thanks so much for the reviews!!! I appreciate the feedback a lot! Hope everyone is having an amazing summer full of Deadliest Catch!!! Peace, Love, and Crabs!**

**Dead Ahead**

Sig cursed loudly in the wheelhouse as he listened to the weather report. Fifty foot waves were seriously bad news for the one hundred and twenty-five foot Northwestern.

"You've got to be kidding me," he growled as he ran his hands over his blood-shot, tired eyes. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he throttled up and looked ahead to the dark clouds looming in the distance, "This is going to be one hell of a storm…"

NWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Meanwhile, below deck…

Norman walked slowly down the hallway, his head hanging down and grumbling under his breath. Edgar had asked him to speak with Dave Millman about what happened on deck earlier that day and he wasn't looking forward to it one little bit. He stopped in front of the room where Dave was bunked and knocked hesitantly.

"Dave?" he called when no one answered his knock, "Dave, its Norman. I know you hate us but can I come in?"

Edgar was in the galley and heard Norman's not-so-discrete comment. He winced slightly and shook his head. Perhaps letting the most frank and down-to-business guy on deck talk to Dave was a bad idea. Then again it might be just what Dave needed…someone to sit him down and put him in his place.

Jake was sitting at the table in the galley and glanced down the hall when he heard Norman. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Dave slowly opened the door and let Norman inside.

"What's that all about?" he asked Edgar.

Edgar cleared his throat and joined Jake at the table, "Um, Norman's just going to talk to Dave for a moment."

Jake sneered and looked away, "And you're going to talk to me huh? That's how its gonna go down?"

Edgar tried to feign his best innocent expression but it wasn't working.

"Oh don't look at me like that, Edgar," murmured Jake as he looked down at his coffee, "I know what's going on…this is about what happened outside earlier isn't it?"

Edgar sighed and nodded after a moment, "Yeah…I was worried about you. You've been practically happy-go-lucky since you've been on board and suddenly you go off on your friend out of nowhere. It's not healthy to keep all that inside you know…its okay to be upset. Jake no one will judge you for being sad or even shedding a tear or two. Trust me on that one."

Jake nodded slightly as he kept his gaze down on the table. After a moment or two his shoulders shook slightly and Edgar stood up and walked around to the other side of the table. He slid in beside Jake and put an arm around his shoulders.

"It's going to be okay, Jake," he said as Jake quickly wiped a stray tear away from his face, "It'll all be okay, I promise."

Just then Norman came out of Dave's room and turned to disappear into his own stateroom. Dave emerged a moment later and walked into the galley. He looked over at Jake and Edgar could tell from his blood-shot eyes that he had been emotional as well. Edgar stood up and moved to slide out of the galley. He nodded to Dave and gave him a sympathetic smile as he left. Dave and Jake needed some time alone to deal with everything and he was more than happy to allow them to do just that.

NWNWNWNWNWNW

About an hour later Sig was lighting the first of his third pack of cigarettes and mumbling about how many more it would take to take the edge off of his frayed nerves. The storm was building and the waves were beginning to reach the top of the wheelhouse. The weather alerts were being issued about every five minutes as the storm system grew worse and worse.

Glancing down at his radar Sig was disheartened to see that he was the only boat in the area. He was fishing quite a bit further north than the rest of the crab fleet. He had banked on slamming down the gear fast and hauling big numbers right from the get-go. While that had all been true, he knew that he was risking a lot. The ice pack, the massive storm systems, the distance from the nearest Coast Guard station…it was all dangerous but Sig knew that in order to get on the crab he'd have to take his chances. For the first time in a long time however, he was beginning to doubt whether or not the move north was really a good decision at all.

Just then a massive wave slammed into the side of the boat and threw Sig from his chair. He landed hard on the floor of the wheelhouse as cries of surprise and fear came from somewhere below him. He scrambled up quickly and climbed back into his chair, wincing slightly. Looking outside, Sig felt his heart drop. The waves in front of his boat were the largest that he ever remembered seeing. Sig said a silent prayer just as the door to the wheelhouse was flung open and Edgar rushed inside.

"What the hell…?" Edgar's exclamation was cut short when he saw the size of the waves and the nearly black clouds that were hovering just ahead of them. He gaped and turned to give his brother a shocked and scared look.

"I know," Sig rasped quietly, "I know…"

**Thanks again for the reviews!! **


	12. Call for Help

**Thanks so much for reviewing!! I really appreciate all the feedback you guys are giving me! I want to write my next story involving the Coast Guard. I did that once in "So Others May Live" and I kinda was thinking about doing another one along those lines but I'm having trouble developing a good story line. If anyone has any ideas please message me! I'd really appreciate it!!!! **

**Call for Help**

"Do you think they're okay?" murmured Marie quietly as she rubbed her hand over her face, leaving behind a blue paint smear.

Jake glanced over his shoulder and sighed, "Well I haven't heard anything about the Coast Guard getting deployed so they're still afloat at least. I'm sure it's rough out there but Sig's a good captain. He's seen it all I'm sure. He's got it under control don't worry."

Marie frowned and laid down her paintbrush. She looked at the painting she had been working on for the past two hours and sighed, "Yeah…that's what I used to think about Phil Harris. But even he couldn't beat the fury of that sea. It's ruthless…merciless."

Jake frowned slightly as he studied Marie's saddened and worried face. She was painting a picture of the Cornelia Marie and he knew that it was a difficult project for her, but Marie had insisted that every boat she knew and loved needed to be represented. She had already painted the Time Bandit and the Wizard and she was half-way done with the Cornelia Marie. She was saving the Northwestern for last since she couldn't seem to get her mind off of the boat.

"They'll be fine, Marie," insisted Jake as he turned back to finish painting one of the walls, "And besides worrying about it isn't going to do you any good. It's not like we can fly over there and rescue them ourselves."

Marie sighed as she lifted her paintbrush to the canvas, "Yeah…so when do you think we should start working on the outside? I say we wait till tomorrow after these storms have passed. I want the outside repainted and the sign needs to be completely revamped."

Jake sighed again, "You're working me to death you know."

Marie laughed at that, "Yeah somehow I have a feeling that Sig worked you a lot harder than I do."

Jake snickered, "Yeah okay you win."

Just then a loud beeping noise came from the TV and a weather alert came up on the screen. Jake and Marie exchanged grim looks as the morning news ended abruptly and switched over to the weatherman.

"This just in, the massive storm system brewing out on the Bering Sea is rapidly making its way to shore, sweeping over the crab fishing fleet. Any and all boats in the Dutch Harbor area are advised to stay in shore until the storm system passes. Boats already out to sea are being advised to batten the hatches and prepare for the worst. For those of you along the coast, board up your homes and stay inside. Tune in at six for more…"

"We better get moving then," said Jake as he turned off the TV, "Don't want all our hard work to be washed away do we?"

Marie forced a small smile at Jake's attempt to keep her calm. But inside Marie's heart was being ripped apart. She feared that the past was destined to repeat itself…and she wasn't sure that she'd make it through this time around…

NWNWNWNWNW

Meanwhile out on the Bering Sea the Trident fishing fleet was scrambling to secure their decks as the storm raged around them. Most of the fleet were along the outskirts of the storm and were only receiving thirty to forty foot waves. The Northwestern however was quite a bit further north than the rest of the fleet and were trapped in the middle of the nightmarish storm. The waves they were facing were sixty to seventy feet high and were tossing the boat madly in the choppy seas.

"Sig what the hell are we going to do?" gasped a terrified Edgar as he gripped the rails on the stairs that led up to the wheelhouse, bracing himself as another wave slammed into the boat.

Sig visibly winced as he felt his boat strike the wave. The water rushed over the wheelhouse and swamped the deck behind him just as another one loomed up along the starboard rail.

"We're going to pray and we're going to ride it out," muttered Sig, "What the hell else are we supposed to do?"

Edgar swallowed nervously when he saw the look of fear and uncertainty in Sig's eyes. The confident Norwegian captain rarely showed fear or misgiving especially in the face of his crew. Now it looked as if he didn't even really care. They were in imminent danger and there was a good chance that they wouldn't make it out of this one.

"Go prepare the crew," murmured Sig after a moment, "Tell them to get into survival suits…just in case."

Edgar's eyes widened in horror. He had never been given this order before and he never imagined it would come to this. He nodded numbly and descended the stairs to tell the crew.

Sig let out a long, shaky breath as he reached up and dialed something into the radio.

"United States Coast Guard this is the fishing vessel Northwestern. We are in the thick of the storm and things aren't looking too good. We are attempting to ride it out but the waves are starting to overtake us. We may be in need of assistance in the near future…we may not be able to ride it out…"

**Please review!! : - )**


	13. History Repeats Itself

**Thanks so much for all the reviews!! I feel guilty for my late updates but life has been throwing' curveballs left and right!! Lol! Let's just say in the middle of deadliest catch Tuesday I spilled mountain dew on my phone and fried it…so all day yesterday I fought with the phone company to get a new one…fun stuff! LOL anyways, here's the new chapter!!**

**History Repeats Itself**

Sig felt his entire body tense as a colossal wave crashed into the wheelhouse. The wood groaned against the onslaught as the water poured down the wheelhouse window. Sig gritted his teeth and took in a long, shaky breath. It had been just a little over ten minutes since he had made the call to the Coast Guard, warning them that the Northwestern may not be able to ride out this storm. The Coast Guard informed him that he was miles out of their range and that it would be hours before they would ever reach him. Sig cursed under his breath. He was fully aware of the distance between his boat and safety. It was out of sheer desperation that he called the Coast Guard, even though deep down he knew that if something went wrong it would be worthless.

Below deck the restless crew paced in the small confines of the galley as they listened to the storm raging over them. Tension was beginning to fill the already crowded space as they glanced at each other fearfully.

Edgar kept casting anxious glances over at Dave and Jake. They were sitting side by side at the galley table and had grown eerily quiet once the storm struck. Edgar knew that they must be thinking back to the Cornelia Marie and the storm that had taken their boat and their friends and family away from them.

Jake put a hand on Dave's shoulder and the two friends shared terrified looks as their minds drifted back to that horrible day not so long ago…

"_Jake! Get below deck!" shouted Josh as he shoved Jake toward the door that led to the galley._

"_But what about you?" shouted Jake over the howling wind, "I'm not leaving until you get off deck!"_

"_I gotta tie this stuff down…don't worry about it, Freddy and I got this!"_

_Jake frowned as he disappeared into the galley. Just as he closed the door behind him he heard his dad start screaming over the loud hailer._

"_Get your survival suits NOW!" he shouted, "We're listing!"_

_Jake looked around in surprise. The waves had been tossing the boat about so much that he hadn't even noticed that they were leaning more to their starboard side. His heart hammered in his chest as panic began to set in. Listing met one thing…they were taking on water somewhere and the pumps weren't able to keep up. _

"_Jake, dude move!" shouted Dave as he shoved a survival suit at him, "Come on, kid put it on!"_

_Numbly, Jake opened the survival suit and lay down on the floor to put it on. _

"_Where's everyone else?" asked Jake as he zipped up his suit._

"_They were outside," replied Dave, "I think they were tying some stuff down."_

_Just then the remainder of the crew burst in through the door, eyes wide with fear._

_Just then the boat lurched sharply to starboard and the crew went flying. Jake landed hard and winced as a sharp pain shot through his side. He sat up quickly and realized that he was sitting on the wall of the galley. His heart skipped a beat as a horrifying realization hit him…they weren't going to make it. The boat was about to capsize._

"_Josh!" he screamed in fear._

_Josh was several feet away from Jake, lying in a crumpled heap. Jake cried out as he rushed over to check on his older brother._

"_Josh! Josh wake up!" he screamed._

_Josh opened his eyes slowly and moaned in pain, "Jake…Jake get the crew…go outside…get the life raft."_

"_I'm not going anywhere without you!" cried Jake as tears began to pour down his face. He had just glanced down and saw the blood that was pooling around his older brother's head. Josh had hit his head hard when the boat rolled and it looked bad._

"_Jake…go," muttered Josh as he slowly began to lose consciousness. _

"_But…"_

_Just then someone grabbed his arm and yanked him away from Josh. Jake screamed at the top of his lungs in protest as he was dragged out of the now side-ways galley._

"_Jake we have to go!" shouted Dave as he pulled Jake outside. _

_Jake screamed as Dave shoved him roughly into the frigid water, "What the hell are you doing!?"_

_Dave swam out after Jake and grabbed him around the waste, guiding him toward the already-inflated life raft. _

_The two deckhands climbed inside and huddled together. Jake peered out through the opening of the life raft and watched as the Cornelia Marie began its descent below the surface. Pain like a knife tore through his heart as the Cornelia Marie disappeared. Only the lights from the mast could be seen down below the choppy Bering Sea. _

_Dave and Jake both leaned out of the raft and began calling out, hoping desperately that the others would hear them. But three long hours later there was still no answer to their desperate cries. They had been the only two on the boat who had managed to put on their survival suits. The other deckhands had either been asleep or out on deck tying down equipment and never had a chance to even touch a survival suit. Phil had been in the wheelhouse, too busy trying to save his boat to put on a suit. Jake and Dave floated alone in the middle of the Bering Sea, waiting for the sound of a Coast Guard helicopter to rescue them…the lone survivors of the Cornelia Marie…_

"You okay?" murmured Edgar as he slid in on the other side of the table and glanced between Dave and Jake.

Jake shook his head as if trying to scatter his dark thoughts away. He smiled sadly and nodded.

"Yeah…yeah we're okay."

Dave nodded slightly, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

"We're gonna be okay," he said under his breath so the other Northwestern deckhands wouldn't hear him, "We'll make it through this."

Dave looked up and he saw the sympathy and worry in Edgar's eyes. He sighed and gave Edgar an appreciative nod.

Edgar smiled back and then stood up to grab another cup of coffee. Just then the boat lurched to the starboard side, sending the startled crew flying across the room. Jake landed hard on the other side of the galley next to Dave. The two friends shared horrified looks. Was history really destined to repeat itself?

**I know…it's another cliffy. *Runs into Sig's wheelhouse and hides behind Sig* Don't hurt me! Lol!!!**


	14. Crashing Down

**Hey guys! So I've been feeling a tad guilty with the late updates so I set aside some extra time today to get more writing done for you all! So that's two chapters in one day…not too shabby! Thanks for all the reviews! Enjoy!!!**

**Crashing Down**

Marie shot up out of bed, her eyes wide with fear. She was trembling and sweating as she looked around her room in panic. Glancing over at the phone next to her bed she scrambled over to it and shakily began to punch in a number.

"Hello?" mumbled a very tired voice on the other end of the line.

"Jake? Jake oh, Jake I just had the worst nightmare…"

"Whoa calm down!" said Jake into the phone, "Take a deep breath and start over. What's going on? Are you okay?"

"Um, I don't know…I mean, yeah I'm fine it's just that I had this dream. And, and I know it sounds crazy but I think the Northwestern's in trouble."

Marie heard Jake sigh, "Okay, well first of all it was a dream. I'm sure everything's fine, but I'm on my way over okay?"

"Okay…okay thanks Jake."

Marie hung up the phone and slowly climbed out of bed. She walked over to her bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face and began to get ready. Regardless of what Jake said about it just being a dream, deep down she had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was dreadfully wrong and she knew it…she could _feel_ it…

NWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Edgar groaned as he slowly sat up. His head throbbed in pain and he glanced around in confusion when he realized that he was sitting on the wall of the galley rather than the floor. After a moment the horrifying realization hit him…the boat was on its side. Terror threatened to overwhelm him as the boat rocked back and forth in the waves. He looked around him, trying to find all of his crew. Jake and Dave had landed side by side across the room from him. They were looking at each other with absolutely terrified expressions and Edgar knew that they were reliving their nightmare all over again. Matt and Norman were cursing loudly from the staterooms as they scrambled out into the hallway, alarm flashing in their eyes as they walked along the wall, tripping and stumbling into the galley.

"Get your survival suits on!" shouted Edgar, gritting his teeth against the pain that throbbed in the back of his head, "Move…now!"

Norman was the first to react. He started pulling out the survival suits and passing them around to the rest of the crew while Edgar ran past him.

"Edgar where the hell are you going?" asked Matt as he pushed past him.

"Sig!" shouted Edgar over his shoulder as he stumbled out into the hallway. As he neared the stairs to the wheelhouse he frowned slightly as he tried to figure out how in the world he was going to make it up into the wheelhouse when the stairs were now on the wall. Grunting he climbed and scrambled his way up until he reached the now-sideways wheelhouse. He glanced up and saw Sig's chair above him. Outside the windows of the wheelhouse the angry waves lapped hungrily at the Northwestern as if it wanted desperately to swallow it whole. Edgar glared at the waves in a moment of absolute fury before he started looking for his brother. He glanced to the side and saw Sig lying on the ground, not moving.

"Sig!" shouted Edgar as he reached out to his brother, "Sig you okay?"

Sig moaned slightly but didn't reply. Edgar cursed as he grabbed his brother and started dragging him out of the wheelhouse, slowly making his way to the galley. A horrible thought entered his mind as he entered the galley, causing him to freeze in terror for a moment. What if this really was it? What if he was going to die out here? And Marie would never know how he felt about her. He felt as if someone had just stabbed him in the heart as he thought of Marie. She was about to lose Jake and Dave now and he wasn't sure if she would be able to make it through this disaster…

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Marie paced anxiously as the storm raged outside. The sun was supposed to be rising by now but it was hidden behind the dark storm clouds. The wind howled loudly and Marie reached up to turn up the volume on the TV, desperate to hear anything she could about the crab boats.

"Hey I came as soon as I could," said Jake as he hobbled inside the Elbow Room, "It's nasty out there!"

Jake took off his soaking wet jacket and hung it up next to the door. Marie ran over to him and gave him a big bear hug and sighed in relief.

"I'm so glad you're here!" she cried, "I'm going out of my mind!"

"Oh, Marie it's going to be okay," assured Jake as he and Marie walked back over to the television set, "It was just a dream I wouldn't look too much into it. I mean think about it…we've both been talking about this storm so much I bet you went to bed with that on your mind. That and a midnight snack combines to form a bad dream…it happens."

Marie smiled faintly, "Yeah maybe you're right," she said quietly, "But…I can't explain it. It just _feels_ like something is wrong. I don't know why it just does…they're in trouble I can feel it, Jake."

Jake frowned at that and was about to reply when the television anchor started to talk.

"This just in…a crab fishing boat on the Bering Sea is apparently either in serious trouble or has sunk. The EPIRB went off about an hour ago and the Coast Guard has deployed a chopper to inspect the area. Unfortunately the helicopter won't reach the area for another eight hours…"

Marie whirled around and gave Jake a horrified look.

"Okay, okay calm down," said Jake as his voice shook slightly, "There are a lot of boats out there right now…it could be any of them."

"Ladies and gentlemen the identity of the fishing vessel has been revealed," said the anchorman, looking shocked, "It is indeed the infamous Northwestern."

Marie felt as if her entire world had just come crashing down around her. She had already lost her boyfriend to the Bering Sea…now she was about to lose two more friends…and someone who may have meant more to her than she realized…

***hides in the Northwestern galley* I know…another cliffy….don't hurt me! Lol! Reviews requested and appreciated!!!**


	15. Roll Over

**Thank you so much for all the reviews!! They are very much appreciated!!! Just a tidbit of information: the title for this chapter is actually the title of one of the songs on the Deadliest Catch soundtrack! And my deepest apologies for the long overdue update! I'm gonna work on the next chapter tonight and post it either tonight or tomorrow morning. Thanks again!!!! Enjoy!**

**Roll Over**

Norman cursed loudly when he saw Edgar dragging their older brother into the galley.

"He's been knocked out," said Edgar, "See if you can strap him into a survival suit…I'm gonna go prep the lifeboats."

"Wait what?" exclaimed Matt in astonishment, "Are we actually leaving the boat?"

Dave and Jake exchanged scared looks as they watched the frazzled crew try to accept what they were about to do. For the two Cornelia Marie deckhands this would be the second time they had to abandon a boat to the Bering Sea. It gave Jake a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach and as he glanced at Dave he saw that he was having the same reaction.

"What the hell else are we supposed to do?" asked Edgar, eyes flashing in fear, "If we stay on this thing we could all die!"

The crew grew eerily silent as they started to put Sig inside of the survival suit. Just as Edgar left the galley the boat lurched again as a massive wave slammed into it. They cried out in panic as water rushed into the galley and the boat careened wildly on the waves. The boat rolled and sent the crew flying for a second time. This time, when they landed, they were all sprawled out on the floor of the boat. They looked around in surprise as they realized that they were right-side up. After a few moments, Matt grinned like a little kid and gave a whoop of excitement. Norman joined him in his celebration and patted Jake heartily on the back.

Jake couldn't help but smile back as relief washed over him. The massive wave must have tossed the boat around enough for it to right itself. Dave Millman laughed like a mad man as the tension and feeling of doom dissipated instantly.

Edgar ran into the galley, tripping over everything that had spilled out of the staterooms.

"Everyone okay?" he asked as he rushed inside.

"Okay?" exclaimed Norman, "Okay? Hell I haven't felt this good in _years_!"

Edgar couldn't help but laugh at that. He made sure that the rest of the crew was uninjured before he turned around and raced up to the wheelhouse. He sat down in Sig's chair and tested the throttle. The engine responded and the Northwestern began to dive up and down against the waves. Edgar grabbed the loud hailer and started talking to the crew.

"She's still running!" he announced happily, "Norm check the engine room, make sure everything is in order. The rest of you help Sig out of that survival suit and get him into his stateroom, then you all can start cleaning up this boat…we're going home!"

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Meanwhile, back in Dutch Harbor…

The entire fishing community of Dutch Harbor, Alaska had heard the dreadful news by now. Many were now gathered in the Elbow Room, drinking and listening intently to the news.

Marie paced anxiously and bit her nails as they waited to hear what had happened to the Northwestern.

"You know pacing like that isn't going to help things," said Jake as Marie walked past him for the hundredth time, "Why don't we finish up the Elbow Room while we wait? That way it can be all decked out for the guys when they get back."

Marie shot Jake an exasperated look, "Jake…they may never come back!"

"You can't think like that," argued Jake, "Now come on…get back to those paintings you were working on. That'll calm your nerves."

Marie shot another glare at Jake and narrowed her eyes, "I only have one more left and it's the Northwestern."

Jake sighed as he watched Marie pace some more, "And I'm sure that Sig wouldn't be too pleased to come in and see every boat represented except for his."

"Look Jake I appreciate what you're trying to do, but…"

"Marie," interrupted Jake as he gave her a hard look, "I know how hard this has to be for you but keep in mind that if the worst has happened you're not the only one who is losing friends. Stop pacing, stop freaking out and paint for crying out loud! You're gonna end up freaking out our customers if you keep this up."

Marie narrowed her eyes at Jake and opened her mouth to argue but decided against it. He was right, she knew that but she just didn't want to admit it. With a final glare in his direction, Marie stomped off into the back room to retrieve her canvass and painting supplies. Jake couldn't suppress a grin of amusement as he watched her leave. He shook his head and then turned his attention back to the television set.

"The Coast Guard has reported that they are about three hours away from the location of the EPIRB. We'll go live once they reach the area and keep you updated."

Jake sighed and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. In three hours they were going to find out whether or not the Northwestern was still afloat in the Bering Sea…

**Thanks again for all the reviews!!!! Don't feel a need to hide in the wheelhouse this time around! LOL!**


	16. Homecoming

**Okay got more done faster than I expected! So I will go ahead and update now to make up for my long hiatus. Enjoy!!!**

**Homecoming **

The Elbow Room was growing more and more crowded by the minute as word spread throughout the close-knit fishing community about the Northwestern. Marie finished putting the final touches on her painting of the Northwestern when the news came back on. Instantly the entire room gravitated toward the television set above the bar. Jake walked over with Marie and wrapped an arm around her in support. The two friends shared fearful looks as they waited to hear what had happened to their friends on the Northwestern.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen the Coast Guard is on the scene now where the EPIRB went off. We're going live with them now. A camera man is on board the chopper and will be filming everything that is going on."

Marie felt her throat close up as an image flashed in her mind of the capsized hull of the Northwestern with bodies floating in the frigid water. She shuddered and shook the dark thought from her mind as she turned away from the television. She held on to Jake and hid her eyes from the sight as the anchorman switched over to the live feed from the chopper.

Gasps filled the room and people began to cheer and cry out in astonishment. Jake gaped in shock and shook Marie.

"Marie! Marie look!" he shouted, shaking with excitement, "Marie it's them! They're _okay_!"

Marie's head shot up and her eyes flew to the screen. Sure enough there was the Northwestern steaming hard on their way back home. The boat looked a bit banged up and a few dents were visible from the impact of the waves, but she was intact. She and her crew were coming home.

Marie felt her knees go weak and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing with relief as the anchorman continued to talk.

"Ladies and gentlemen the Northwestern is miraculously okay! And this just in…the Coast Guard managed to get one of the crew members on the radio. Let's listen in…"

"We're okay," said a very familiar voice, "Sig, our captain, hit his head pretty hard so he's out but he should be fine. The crew's okay and the boat is holding strong…and we're coming home. Tell Marie we're okay…she's the owner of the Elbow Room. Please, let her know we're coming home…"

Marie continued to sob when she realized that it was Edgar who was talking on the radio. Her heart surged with warmth as she pictured his scruffy face and kind, blue eyes. She smiled slightly as she wiped away the tears of relief. They were coming home…Edgar was coming home.

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Eight hours later…

Marie and Jake stood outside of the Elbow Room and looked out over the calm harbor. The weather was beautiful for January and the snow on the mountains illuminated the harbor. Marie fidgeted and stood on her toes, straining to see the entrance of the harbor. Jake chuckled slightly as he watched her.

"Someone's a bit excited isn't she?" he asked as Marie shot him a look.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Jake shrugged, "Oh nothing…just curious as to why you're so excited that's all."

"Well, Jake," said Marie sarcastically, "In case you hadn't realized they all almost died out there and I can't wait to see them all safe and on land again."

Jake rolled his eyes as he adjusted his stance on his crutches, "Yeah somehow I seriously doubt that that's your only motivation."

Marie narrowed her eyes at Jake, "Care to elaborate on that?"

"Well…a certain deck boss that I know very well seems to have a slight crush on you and your face seemed to brighten ever so slightly when you heard him say your name on the TV. Just saying…"

"I don't know what you're talking about," muttered Marie as she looked away.

"De-nial."

Just then Marie glanced out into the harbor and saw the faint outline of the Northwestern on the horizon. She cried out in excitement and jumped up and down.

"Jake! They're here! Come on!" she screamed as she ran down toward the docks.

Jake smirked and shook his head, "Oh yeah…definitely in denial."

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Edgar guided the Northwestern through the harbor just as Sig slowly climbed the stairs and entered the wheelhouse.

"Sig!" exclaimed Edgar in surprise, "What the hell are you doing up here? You should be lying down!"

"I'm fine," grumbled Sig in his usual gruff voice, "It's just a bump on the head. And I want to steer my boat home. Besides…if I'm not mistaken that's Marie out there on the dock and I have a feeling you're going to want to see her the second we pull alongside the dock."

Edgar got up from Sig's chair and looked away quickly, "Um…why would you say that?"

Sig cursed under his breath, "Don't be stupid. I'm not blind…I'm your brother after all. Now go up there on the bow and wave to your woman."

Edgar opened his mouth to argue but then decided it was pointless. Sig knew and there was no getting around it. Edgar glanced out the wheelhouse window and saw Marie standing out on the dock with Jake beside of her. He smiled as he ran down the stairs and quickly made his way outside to climb out onto the bow…"

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Marie cried out again when she saw Edgar on the bow of the Northwestern. She waved and smiled when he waved back. Jake also waved to his best friend and smiled when he realized that his eyes were all for Marie.

When the Northwestern pulled up alongside the dock, Edgar jumped up onto the rail and leapt off the boat and onto the dock. Marie gasped in surprise as he grabbed her and gave her a huge bear hug. She laughed happily when she felt her feet leave the ground.

"Oh I cannot tell you how good it is to see you," Edgar murmured into her ear.

"I have an idea," smirked Marie as Edgar finally let go enough to let Marie breathe again.

She gazed up at him and Edgar blinked in surprise when he recognized the warmth of her gaze. Then, without warning, she leaned up and kissed him. Edgar was so shocked that he didn't respond at first, but after a moment he returned the kiss. As they pulled away he looked down at her and swallowed nervously.

"Marie?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yes, Edgar?" whispered Marie.

"I…I know it hasn't been long since you lost Josh, but I want you to know…I think you should know how I feel about you."

Marie smirked, "I have an idea."

Edgar felt himself blush slightly and glanced away sheepishly, "Well…just so you know. I like you a lot Marie…as in more than a friend. And I know it's still way to soon but I was wondering if maybe in the future sometime, we could, you know…date?"

Marie smiled broadly and nodded, "I'd like that…I'd like that a lot, Edgar."

Jake cleared his throat loudly and Edgar turned to face him.

"Oh, hey there junior!" said Edgar as he gave his best friend a hug.

"Yeah, yeah I see where you're priorities are," said Jake as he shot a pointed look at Marie, trying not to smirk.

Edgar rolled his eyes and ruffled Jake's hair as the rest of the crew finished tying up the boat and joined them on the dock. Jake and Dave ran over to Marie and hugged her warmly. She smiled as she greeted her old friends. Jake glanced over at Edgar and then looked back at Marie, "So…you and Edgar huh?"

Marie looked away, feeling a pang of guilt course through her, "Um, well we're going to take it slow I think. I'm not ready just yet to move on."

Jake smiled, "Go for it. Josh would want you to be happy and Edgar's a great guy. He helped me out a lot out there."

Marie smiled as she gave Jake a hug, "Thanks Jake…I really appreciate that."

"What are we all standing around for?" said Jake Anderson loudly, "Let's get inside…Marie and I have something to show you all."

"Wait!" exclaimed Marie, "We have to wait for the other crews! They aren't in…"

"Heyoooooooo!" shouted a familiar voice.

Everyone turned around and laughed when they saw the Time Bandit pulling into the docks. Captain Andy was making a fuss and letting all of Alaska know that they had returned. Just behind them the Wizard pulled into the docks followed by several other crab fishing boats.

"Well…in that case let's all head to the Elbow Room!" shouted Marie with a laugh as Andy and his crew leapt off the boat, shouting and cheering loudly, "Before Andy and the boys steal the show!"

Everyone laughed at that as the Time Bandit crew sauntered over and exchanged greetings and stories with the Northwestern crew. While they waited, the Wizard crew joined them and they started to make their way up toward the Elbow Room. Marie couldn't remember ever feeling quite this happy before…and the future was finally beginning to look up.

**So I'm guessing that I will have a super-long epilogue coming…but that's just a guess, we shall see! Thanks so much for all the reviews!!! They are MUCH appreciated!!!!!**


	17. An Offer They Can't Refuse

**An Offer They Can't Refuse**

Before Marie knew it the entire Elbow Room was jam-packed with rowdy crabbers, shouting and celebrating their safe return home. Jake Anderson and Jake Harris were talking excitedly and laughing about something while Dave walked over to Edgar and gave him a hug and shook his hand. Marie smiled when she saw Edgar return the gesture and thank Dave for his work on the Northwestern. She was glad that Dave seemed to have gotten over his bitterness and was able to move on with his life.

"Check out the artwork!" exclaimed Andy Hillstrand as he pointed up to the wall.

Everyone turned and looked up at the top of the back wall. All along the wall there were paintings of the trident fishing fleet crashing through waves on the Bering Sea. The crews looked for their individual boats and cheered when they found them.

Jake Harris glanced over and froze for a moment. Across the room and above the bar was another painting of another crab boat. As if in a daze he walked slowly over to it. Dave was trying to find Jake in the crowd and finally saw him over near the bar. He threaded his way through the crowded room and made his way over to his friend. He realized that Jake was staring up at something and he followed his line of sight and froze mid-step. The blue hull and yellow trim of the vessel were unmistakable…it was a portrait of the Cornelia Marie in all her glory, crashing through a mountainous wave on the Bering Sea.

Jake and Dave stood looking up at the painting for a full minute, gaping in shock. Marie turned and saw them. She bit her lower lip as a flood of emotion hit her full force. She choked back the tears as Dave put an arm around Jake and the two friends exchanged anguished glances. After a moment of reflection, Dave squared his shoulders and lifted his chin proudly.

"It was an honor to work on that boat with those men," he stated simply with a glance at Jake, "And while the pain will never really go away completely…it's time for us to move on."

Jake shot Dave a startled look and after a moment smiled broadly. He gave his friend a hug, feeling relieved that Dave had finally figured out a way to move past his anger and pain.

Edgar and the rest of the Northwestern crew were sitting around one of the new tables in the center of the room watching the scene play out before them. Edgar smiled slightly as he watched the two deckhands embrace. It was about time that things started to look up for everyone…and especially for them.

Sig winced slightly and touched his head, "I think it's time to take more pain meds," he muttered irritably.

Edgar smirked slightly as Sig dug in his pockets for more pain pills. The weathered captain had taken quite a spill when the boat turned over on its side and, against Edgar and the rest of the crew's advice; he refused to go to the doctor. He claimed it was only a bump and he'd be just fine. Edgar sneered at that. Since he had taken his nasty fall all he'd done is complain about his headache.

Just then the front door chimed as someone walked in. Marie glanced up from behind the bar where she was serving the crazy Time Bandit crew their drinks. It was an older gentleman, one she didn't recognize and in a tight-knit fishing community everybody knew everyone. Marie frowned slightly as the man settled down at the bar. She walked over to him and gave him a warm smile.

"Hi there!" she said over the roar of excited crabbers. "Haven't seen you around here before."

The man returned her kind smile and nodded, "Yeah, I'm just up here for a short visit. Actually…you may be able to help me out."

"Oh yeah? What can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm looking for the two lone survivors of that terrible accident that happened a month or so ago," said the man with a thoughtful look on his face.

Marie froze and narrowed her eyes slightly, "Um…may I ask why?"

The man noted the defensive tone in her voice, "Oh, I'm sorry you probably knew those men…I'm terribly sorry I didn't mean to be rude."

Marie felt her jaw tense, "Yeah you could say that I knew them…I was dating one of them."

The man's eyes grew wide and then soft with sadness, "Oh hun I'm so very, very sorry. I promise you I don't mean any harm…actually if anything else I mean something else entirely."

Marie frowned and gave the man a hard stare, "Look mister we've been through hell and back and I don't want to see my friends suffer anymore than they already have."

"Yes man I understand that…I just, I have a proposition for them. It's something that may help them move on a little easier."

Marie narrowed her eyes again and studied the man's face, "Really? And what would that be?"

"Well, I'd like to speak to them if that's okay…I want to tell them first."

Marie leaned down close to the man's face, "Fine…but I swear if you say one word that upsets them I'll have every man in this bar through you out and I can assure you that that won't be a pleasant experience."

Marie turned around abruptly and stalked across the room. The man watched as she approached two men and pointed in his direction. The men frowned in confusion as they turned to make their way over to him. Marie walked back behind the bar, keeping one eye trained on the older man as her friends approached him.

"Um…so Marie says you wanted to speak with us?" asked Jake as he and Dave stood in front of the older man.

"Ah, yes," stammered the man as he stood up to shake their hands, "My name is Gregory and I would like to give you two my boat."

Jake and Dave's eyes flew open in shock.

"I, I'm sorry did you just say that you wanted to give us your _boat_?" asked Dave in astonishment.

The older man beamed, "Why yes! Well, she's a fixer upper but she's a good size one she is! One hundred and forty feet long. She's a beaut! Just needs a good paint job and a proper name and well I was gonna scrap her because I'm old and have no use for her anymore, but then I heard your story and what happened to your crew and your old boat…and well I just thought you'd be able to use it. That is if you still intend to fish and all…"

Jake and Dave were gaping in disbelief at the older man.

"You mean you are just going to give us a boat?" exclaimed Jake.

"Just like that?" asked Dave, sounding skeptical.

"Yes sir, just like that!"

Just then the sound of a glass shattering caused the three men to turn around. Marie had dropped the glass she was polishing and was staring at them in utter shock.

The older man laughed, "See there young lady? I told you I wasn't gonna do any harm!"

**Well this ended up being so long I guess I'm gonna have to make this one a chapter and the next one the actual epilogue! Lol! Thanks so much for the reviews!**


	18. Epilogue

**Well here it is!! The last entry! Thanks sooo much for all the amazing reviews!! I love you guys!!!**

**Epilogue: Loved Back to Life**

_One Year Later…_

Marie was busy cleaning up the Elbow Room in preparation for the arrival of the onslaught of crab fishermen that would soon be descending on Dutch Harbor for the beginning of Opillio season. Marie smiled when she realized that Edgar would be arriving at any time now. She missed him desperately whenever he returned to Seattle to help out his brothers and take care of his home.

Just then the door burst open and Jake Harris and Dave Millman ran over to her, cheering and yelling loudly.

"You're not gonna believe this!" shouted Jake, "She's ready!"

Marie's eyes widened, "You mean…she's finished?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Dave, "We just finished hiring our crew! Looks like we're fishin' with the big boys now!"

Marie jumped up and down excitedly as she ran around the bar and embraced her friends, "Oh guys that's awesome! I'm so happy for you! What'd you name her?"

Jake puffed out his chest proudly as he answered her, "The Cornelia Marie II. I know it's a little unorthodox to be naming a boat after one that sank, but considering the circumstances I think it's acceptable."

"And besides," added Dave, "We knocked on wood before we had the name painted on the back, so all the bad juju is gone."

Marie laughed, "Well I can't wait to see her! I'll get to wave to you as you all leave the docks," she said as she turned to fix them some drinks, "A new boat in the fleet," she said reflectively, "I like the sound of it."

Just then loud whoops and cheers filled the room as the Time Bandit crew entered the Elbow Room.

"What's goin' down Dutch Harbor?!" shouted Andy.

"We're baaaaaack!" announced Jonathan as they crew filed in at the bar.

"Yeah we noticed," grumbled Dave as he rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Jake laughed and patted his friend on the shoulder, "Don't worry…we'll show up those rowdy kids when we hit the high seas tomorrow."

"What?" asked Andy in surprise, "Wait…do you mean you guys finished restoring the boat?"

Jake nodded a proud gleam in his eyes as he scanned the crew of the Time Bandit.

"That's right…and you better watch it," warned Dave, "The Cornelia Marie's back and she's ready to take you all on!"

"Bring it!" said Andy as he playfully punched Dave in the shoulder.

Dave laughed and started to punch Andy back until the two were practically wrestling in the middle of the Elbow Room.

"Hey now!" warned Marie, "You all know how I feel about bar fights…don't you make me jump over this bar!"

The crew laughed as the two crabbers continued their play fight. Just then the door swung open and the crews of the Wizard and the Northwestern joined the rowdy Time Bandit crew.

"What the hell?" asked Matt Bradley when he saw Dave and Andy going at it.

"Oh don't mind them," said Jake Harris, "Dave got competitive and started bragging about our new boat and Andy decided to show him up I guess."

"Your new boat?" asked Sig, his eyes widening in surprise, "You finished it?"

While the crews talked to Jake and patted him on the back, Edgar moved through the throng of people and made his way over to Marie. Her eyes lit up when she saw him and she smiled broadly.

"Hey there handsome," she crooned in his ear as he gave her a big bear hug.

"Right back at you sexy," murmured Edgar with a light laugh.

Edgar pulled away suddenly and reached for an empty glass sitting on the bar. Marie gave him a confused look as he opened a drawer and grabbed a spoon. He banged it loudly on the glass and turned to face the crowd of loud, rowdy crabbers.

"Hey! Can I have everyone's attention for a second?" he shouted.

The roar slowly died down as Edgar's banging grew more incessant.

"Oh Edgar what now?" asked Jake Anderson as he exchanged a knowing look with his best friend. Jake's ankle had healed and he was back to continue his fishing career with the Northwestern.

Edgar smirked at Jake while everyone waited to hear what Edgar had to say.

"This will only take a moment," said Edgar as he suddenly dropped to one knee.

Marie gasped in shock when he pulled out a small black box from his pocket. Her hands flew to her mouth while her eyes slowly began to fill with tears.

"Marie you've been to hell and back this past year and yet through the entire thing you remained strong and loving. Everyone here would agree with me that you are an amazing person…and there is nothing in the world I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you. Marie…will you marry me?"

Marie felt her heart pounding in her chest as she fought back the tears to answer Edgar.

"Y…yes, yes of course!" she exclaimed.

Edgar leapt up from the ground and hugged her tightly. He pulled back slightly, just enough to kiss her as he slid the ring on her finger. Marie gasped when she glanced down and saw how big the diamond was.

The entire Elbow Room echoed with loud cheers and rounds of applause as the crabbers hooted and hollered and whistled their congratulations for their friends.

And in that moment…Marie knew she had never been happier…

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Early the next morning, Marie watched from her bench in front of the Elbow Room as the boats pulled away from the docks and made their way out to the channel that led to the Bering Sea. She smiled when she saw the Cornelia Marie II pull away from the dock. It had a very similar paint scheme to the original Cornelia Marie and would have been an exact replica had it not been a house-forward boat.

The Northwestern followed the Cornelia Marie II as they left the harbor. Marie saw a figure on the back of the boat waving to her. Even though she was a good ways away, there was no mistaking that figure. She smiled and felt her heart grow warm as she waved back to Edgar. The Wizard and the Time Bandit joined the other two boats and before long all four had disappeared into the rising fog …

NWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW

Later that evening, Marie put on her parka and left the Elbow Room. She made her way to the cemetery and stopped next to a particular headstone. She smiled slightly as she ran her hand across the engraving. A slight pang of sadness hit her but it wasn't nearly as intense as it used to be. She sighed with relief as she realized the worst of her pain was finally gone. She had finally found a way to move on…and it was all thanks to a certain deck boss. Edgar had loved her back to life.

Marie sighed again and sat down on the cold ground.

"Hey Josh," she whispered, "Edgar asked me to marry him today…I said yes. I want you to know part of me will always love you. I'll never forget you, that's not possible. But I know you'd want me to be happy and well…I am now. Thank you for everything you gave me…I'll never, ever forget our time together. Maybe one day we'll see each other again. So…this isn't goodbye. I'll just see you on the other side."

Marie stood up slowly and began to walk back to the Elbow Room. And for the first time…she never looked back…

**THE END!!! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this! I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I want to write next…what I'd really like to do is take an idea that a writer by the username of Jane Minatti had and run with it. She started a story with the concept of the fishermen being forced to have a nurse on board due to the high levels of injuries the crabbers endure. I thought it'd be fun to take that idea and write storylines for all 4 main boats. I thought that'd add a bit more diversity and interest to the story. There would be a lot of romance involved of course…on every boat too : ) Jane Minatti hasn't been on in a long time from what I can tell so I don't think she would mind and I'll credit her for the original idea. Let me know if you guys like that idea and if so then I'll get started right away on a storyline! **


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